


Don't Break the Expensive China

by devilsduplicity



Category: Being Human (US/Canada)
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-28
Updated: 2011-02-28
Packaged: 2017-11-29 23:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/692815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilsduplicity/pseuds/devilsduplicity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Bishop is trying to do is keep his family together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Break the Expensive China

**Who:** Bishop, Aidan, Marcus  
 **What:** All Bishop is trying to do is keep his family together.  
 **When:** During 1x07  
 **Word Count:** 900~  
 **Warnings:** PG; spoilers for 1x07

 

 

 

It isn't his problem.

Marcus is turning rabid, and it's been so long he can't remember why he bit him in the first place, but they've all made their mistakes, and Bishop is too proud to let Aidan know of his hesitations.

The girl is terribly banged up, and if he still felt sympathy for humankind, he might have pitied her the pain, but he's far too distracted mulling over the frustration sizzling in his stomach. She smells like a dog, like she's been sleeping in the wolf's den, and that is perhaps another unjust reason for him not to care.

When he leaves, he's upset. Aidan is hot on his trail, and he takes this anger out on him, tells him _you brought this on yourself_ , because he _did_ , and _you would have done the same thing_ , and all the million other things that are true, true, true -- for the Aidan he used to know. But the Aidan standing in front of him now has grown so horrendously weak; it makes him shudder to think of how he's subjecting himself to solitude, how he's starving himself just to prove a point.

Bishop has told him before, _life doesn't have to be so hard_.

 

*******

 

It becomes his problem when Marcus brings it up at the funeral home. He thinks of how _grating_ the other's voice has gotten over time, how the vampire will never be a proper substitute for Aidan.

Marcus has always known his every step has been judged by the weight of Aidan's shoes. He's vocal in his animosity, bitter and slick and holds all the makings of a truly vindictive vampire -- if Bishop were to ever play that game. But Bishop's goal is not to sidle and sneak his way around his coven; he's the desperate father trying to keep the peace between all the members of his beloved family.

So he does what he believes is right; he lowers his voice and breaks through the petulance with a jagged sort of calm. He breaks apart the molecules separating him and his fledgling, and in no uncertain terms uses the power of his position to stake his claim on the situation. Aidan is _his_. Marcus is his, too, and if both of his children break the expensive china while they're tousling around on the floor, there _will_ be consequences.

 

*******

 

When Marcus shows up at the funeral home all bloody and bruised, expecting the care of his family to nurture him back to health, Bishop says, "You're not welcome here."

Not tonight.

The smug smirk that has perpetually chiseled itself onto Marcus's lips slips from his expression. He doesn't understand, and Bishop doesn't explain.

He sends the younger vampire away, assured, but hurting.

He's never kicked anyone out before.

An image of Aidan with cuts and wounds peppering his body haunts the area behind his eyelids, and with clenched fists Bishop shuts the door.

Marcus is back the next day, and Bishop can't help himself. He has it in his head that kindness will make up for the justified punishment he'd delivered, and so pays more attention to the other than he usually might have. Marcus eats it up, basking in the notice he's given. It restores his ego, all quick and violent, and within minutes the kicked-puppy look he'd sported on his face earlier has unhooked itself and fallen away.

Bishop isn't thinking of Aidan when he presses his lips to Marcus's forehead and sends him on his way, but when he's alone and sorting out paperwork, he can't help but peek his tongue out and miss Aidan's taste.

 

*******

 

Aidan has always had a flare for grand gestures. Bishop shouldn't be nearly so surprised to see him at the funeral home, and should _definitely_ not be half as pleased, because knowing his dark little vampire, Aidan is probably there to do something stupid or disrespectful.

He doesn't disappoint -- he does both -- but Bishop is still eager to have him there, still pleased with his presence.

When Marcus steps out of line, it's difficult for Bishop not to resort to physical violence. The others stay quiet -- they know how foolish it is to taunt one of their leader's most prized possessions. The still of the air is only broken by the sound of the redhead's poor judgment.

Bishop steps between them, breaks it up; calls Aidan weak, because that's exactly what he is. Calls Marcus a mistake, because that's what he is, too. Their family is dysfunctional, no one could deny that, but at least they had each other, and Bishop is reluctant to pry apart the glue that keeps them that way.

Marcus is hurt afterwards, and Bishop consoles him with a gentle touch.

The slide of his fingers is sinister.

Bishop can tolerate mistakes, but defiance will be crushed beneath the heel of his shoe.

Marcus swallows, thick and heavy, nods once, but they both know it's only a matter of time before his hot-headed nature lands him in a difficult position.

But that isn't really Bishop's problem.


End file.
